Heavy rain has seen parts of the Bay of Plenty severely flooded, while rain warnings remain in place.
Tauranga was hit with 50mm of rain between 2pm and 4pm on Monday afternoon, causing some streets to be flooded.
Footage shot by 1News showed cars driving down a flooded Mount Maunganui street, with water as high as the bonnets of some vehicles.
Police are advising Bay of Plenty motorists to take extra care on the roads on Monday evening.
They said there had been a number of calls for assistance to emergency services due to surface flooding and fallen trees.
Police urged motorists to drive with extreme caution, particularly in areas where there is surface flooding, as there could be hidden hazards.
MetService has a severe thunderstorm warning in place for the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Waikato and Taupō, with the potential for severe downpours with rain rates between 25 and 40mm per hour.
"Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips," MetService said.
"Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain."
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